T.J. Hammonds is Ready to Put on a Show at Arkansas

Pulaski Robinson four-star athlete T.J. Hammonds is ready to put on a show at Arkansas.

The next time Arkansas plays a game, T.J. Hammonds will suit up for the Razorbacks.

The four-star athlete from Pulaski Robinson in Little Rock said that thought dawned on him Monday when he was talking to his dad.

“I was like, ‘Dad, you know the next time they’re playing, I will be playing with them,’” Hammonds said. “It’s a great feeling to realize that’s going to happen soon and I can’t wait for it to happen. I’m ready to put on a show.”

When he does put on the Arkansas uniform next season – whether as a running back or a slot receiver – he’ll do so as a teammate of Beaumont (Texas) Central four-star running back Devwah Whaley.

Whaley committed to the Razorbacks Saturday, just before Arkansas’ win over Kansas State in the Liberty Bowl.

While fans celebrated the announcement, Hammonds said he knew the news was coming.

“We talked before we even knew he was going to commit,” Hammonds said. “I asked him, ‘What’s on your mind, man?’ And he was being 100 with me and said he was all Arkansas, 100 percent.

“He said, ‘I’m going to commit when I go to the (Under Armor All-American) game.’ I was like, ‘Okay. Bet. Just let me know and I’ll be watching.’ I think it’s a great fit.”

Whaley is the 17th commit in Arkansas’ 2016 class. Including him and Hammonds, the Razorbacks have six four-star pledges.

Arkansas’ class is already the 26th best one in the country, but Hammonds said he knows it can be even better if it lands a pair of corners: four-stars Kristian Fulton and Eric Cuffee.

“Overall, I think the 2016 class is great,” Hammonds said. “We’ve got a little group message going on, so we’re all trying to get the two corners. I already think it’s great, but we can improve it more and make it even better if we get these two corners.”

Hammonds hasn’t received as much publicity as some of the commits, such as Whaley and four-star defensive lineman McTelvin Agim, but he is a good get by Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema.

Proof of that came last week, when Alabama offered him and tried to sway him away from the Razorbacks.

“I’m still committed to Arkansas and I’m going to Arkansas,” Hammonds said. “I thanked them for (the offer). That’s what I’m supposed to do because not everybody gets an opportunity to get an offer from Alabama.

“I thought that was a great offer for me, but I’m still committed to Arkansas and that’s where I’m going to be.”